"No; for He asserts that He looks on evil with 'no degree of
allowance.' For instance, you are supposed to be supreme in the
sick room, your word law; but if your patient ignores your
directions and remedies and substitutes others in place of them,
you are not 'permitting' such willful disobedience. But the
patient suffers for it none the less, and you are in no way
responsible for his condition. So mortals, in their presumption
and perverseness, have become idolaters, have set up false gods or
devices to rob God of His power. Take another illustration: Truth
and honesty are supreme in their realm, but there are people who
prefer to lie when truth would serve them better, and who would
rather steal than get an honest living. But truth and honesty do
not permit--are not responsible for such perversion. Until the
liar and the thief turn to truth and honesty, to reclaim them,
they will suffer from the results of their sins; they cannot
substitute anything else."
"I see your point, Miss Minturn, and you have given me something
to think of. You argue, too, like a veritable doctor of divinity,"
said Dr. Stanley, with a smile.
"Oh! no, I do not," retorted Katherine, with a roguish gleam in
her brown eyes; "for, let your doctor of divinity get sick and he
will argue for material remedies every time."
"That is true, and my intellect, my education and experience
prompt me to reason from the same standpoint," was the grave
response. "My professional pride also cries out 'Absurd!
Impossible! Impractical!' But I dearly love that little girl in
there," and the man's voice grew gentle as a woman's and trembled
in spite of his manhood, as he glanced towards the adjoining room.
"I love my sister, whose life is a mental and physical martyrdom,
and I would sacrifice all I have--yea, even professional authority
and pride--to bring health and happiness to them. There is one
thing left to try for Dorothy, to relieve that pain--only one; but
my heart shrinks, revolts from it. That is why I have sought this
conversation with you, Miss Minturn, hoping to get a little
insight regarding your methods; and, while I do not grasp the so-
called 'science' of it at all, I am impressed that you Scientists
have something that we physicians have not. But I marvel at your
profound thought upon such a subject at your age."
"You would not marvel at my ability to elucidate a difficult
problem in trigonometry?" said Katherine, smiling.
"No, for that would be a natural outgrowth of your education."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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